. What prompted many people in Southern Italy to immigrate to the U. S. between 1880 and 1920?
an invasion of Italy
disintegration of the Italian nation state
religious persecution at home
natural disasters

Natural disasters.

Explanation: Southern Italy experienced a number of natural disasters. The volcano Mount Vesuvius, near Naples, erupted in 1906, and the lava completely buried the closest town. In 1908, an earthquake caused a tidal wave that swept through the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland, killing over 100,000 in the city of Messina alone. Immigration to America was attractive to Italians in the south as a way out of economic hardship and away from natural catastrophes. Many Italian immigrants to the United States as a result.